This invention relates generally to the article packaging arts and more particularly to a machine and method for assembling a plurality of articles with a packaging carrier.
The prior art discloses various forms of carriers for assembly with articles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,331 to Klygis and U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,117 to Weaver et al. are two examples of carriers used to package a plurality of articles in close relation. Generally, this type of carrier is formed of a resilient material which can be deformably stretched. When stretched, openings formed in the material enlarge to permit assembly over the ends of articles. Once the stretching force is removed, the carrier material elastically reforms around the articles. Although these two references show generally cylindrical beverage containers retained within the carrier, articles of other dimensions may be assembled with an appropriately dimensioned carrier strip employing a similar process.
Weaver et al. shows a carrier strip which comprises two rows of longitudinally adjacent bands The Klygis patent shows a carrier strip which is formed with three rows of longitudinally adjacent bands. In both patents, the strip is engaged along the outside edge of the bands and stretched outwardly so that each band forms an opening which complements the article to be assembled therewith. In the Klygis patent, forces exerted on the two outermost bands of each row of three adjacent bands stretch the medial band deforming it to complementarily accommodate an article assembled therethrough.
An apparatus as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,682 to Braun provides a machine which engages a carrier strip and assembles the carrier strip with a plurality of articles moving in close relation thereto. The apparatus in Braun has a rotary drum with carrier stretching members for engaging, stretching and positioning the carrier strip over the tops of the articles moving thereunder such that the carrier material is retained under the chime of the article. This apparatus positions the articles in relation to the rotary drum and carrier strip using pairs of "star-wheels". The star-wheels engage the sides of the articles generally at a top and bottom position to locate the articles for proper assembly with the carrier.
Once the carrier has been assembled with the articles, the continuous carrier strip is periodically cut to form discrete packages. Preferably, the carrier strip is formed with weakened areas at periodic intervals to promote division into the discrete packages. Typically, the carrier assembled with the articles are divided into discrete packages using an apparatus such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,264 to Felstehausen or U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,640 to Schlueter. The apparatus in Felstehausen vertically transversely divides the carrier strip by cutting vertically downward through the strip. Division of the carrier strip occurs using a blade which is generally vertically perpendicularly positioned relative to the generally horizontal plane of the path of travel of the carrier at the point of division. Schlueter shows a device which separates three columns of articles by using two cutting star wheels which cut the carrier material along the outside edge and a vertical cutter to cut the center material. While devices in both Felstehausen and Schlueter are effective at cutting necked portions of carrier material retained near the top of the articles it is difficult to cut carrier material retained substantially spaced apart from the top and bottom of the articles.
Further, the prior art systems generally depend upon mounting the carrier strip to engage the top chime of the article. An example of such retaining structure is the top chime of a cylindrical beverage container generally formed by joining the top edge of the cylindrical body and the circumferential edge of the top. It is under the chime which an inside edge of the aperture formed through the center of a retaining band is retainably secured. The current beverage container market has decreased the diameter of the top surface and thus the circumference of the chime thereby requiring specialized carrying strips to be manufactured. The problem is exacerbated since the beverage container market has diverged from uniformity in that there are many types of top chimes having varying diameters. However, the diameter of the body of these beverage containers is substantially uniform regardless of the diameter of the top chime. Therefore, it is desirable to produce a uniform carrier strip which can be positioned substantially spaced from the top and bottom of an article since the mid-section of most articles have a generally uniform perimeter.